Family Drop-Off

Friday, June 14th, 2176- Five years before the Emergence

Grand Canyon Training Facility

Oren Stretched his legs and yawned as he waited for the rest of his family to get off of the bus. He'd read that back in the early 21st century, a flight from New York to Arizona would've taken over 5 hours, and without hover-buses the drive from the airport to the Grand Canyon would have added even more time. With Miniark technology, the flight from New York to Arizona was only 1-and-a-half hours, and with the hover-bus ride, the whole trip was only 3 hours. Being that his entire body felt like a crusty old rubber band after just 3 hours, Oren couldn't even fathom what life would have been like back then.

As more families and people filed out of the bus, Oren took a moment to regard his surroundings. He'd never been to the Grand Canyon at all, let alone the training facility. He looked over the beautiful landscape, miles upon miles of stone, giving way to a deep valley. The gold and brown toned rocks contrasted well against the perfect blue sky. And above it all, the sun shone brightly. Oren basked in the light, letting it wash over him. It was wonderful, he thought, that despite how large the GCTF was, it took up such little space in the entire National Park.

Looking over at where all the bus riders were walking, he saw the main building of the GCTF. It was here where so many of the best chasm divers were born and hone their abilities. Further off in the distance, he could see what he presumed to be the dorms as well as the athletic center. He knew that the facility had a full 5-layer chasm, though the camp trainees would only have access to the first two. Though he had seen footage from within the chasm, he didn't know exactly where they'd built it. After all, one layer is already 108 meters deep. He decided not to give it more thought, as he would see it soon enough. Oren was about to spend the next month of his life here, hopefully becoming well equipped for the world of Professional Chasm Diving.

~

Eventually, Oren's father came over to him, carrying 2 of Oren's bags on his back, and wheeling his large suitcase behind him. With a grunt of effort and a relieved sigh, he let the bags down gently on the floor.

"Son…what on Earth did you put in these bags?" He huffed. 

"I was going to carry them myself before you insisted. Do you need help?"

"No. Remember, back in college I was a—"

"A power-lifter. We know, dad." A peppy young voice chimed in from behind him. Oren's younger sister, Penelope walked up to their father's side and pat the man on his back. Their father's face deflated slightly at Penelope's interruption. Coming just after them was their mother, as well as Oren's younger brother Jacks in his automated wheelchair. The young boy spun his chair in swift circles as he saw the facility ahead of them.

Oren smiled as his family gathered near him. He loved his family. His dad was the average middle aged man, having lost most of his physique from his younger days. He hadn't lost his pride though, and Oren respected that, in many ways. Oren's mom was a beautiful and humble woman. She'd often speak about how Oren's father swept her off of her feet into a whirlwind romance, though his dad always reminded Oren that his mother was the one to make the first moves. It was from her that Oren got his dark hair and sapphire eyes. He'd also obtained a love of theater; specifically, vintage musical theater was his interest. Growing up, his mom would make the entire family sit down and watch old recorded musicals from the late 20th and early 21st century like "Washington: An American Musical", "Dogs", and "Your Rent is Due". Not all of the musicals were great, he thought "Dogs" was really bad, especially the film remake of the movie they made later on, but he enjoyed the time he spent with his family. 

"Woah! I've only ever seen pictures of this place. Seeing it in person is so cool!" Jacks said, pointing at the Grand Canyon's edge, and starting to make his way toward it. Penelope chased after him saying, "Jacky, please don't get too close to the edge!" 

Penelope was the only person who called Jacks by "Jacky"—Oren thought that 'Jacks' sounded enough like a nickname. Still, he appreciated how well she treated their little brother. She was a brat to Oren most of the time, being 16 and all. He didn't mind though, he always knew how much she cared. As for Jacks, Oren didn't know how a 12 year old could have so much strength. At age 8 Jacks had been diagnosed with an unknown deteriorative illness that rendered him paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors couldn't fix it, not even with advanced medical technology developed specifically to quickly remedy paralysis, not that they would've had enough money for the procedure anyway.

Though he'd been depressed for a long while, Jacks eventually started to get used to life in a wheelchair. Oren loved seeing the light in his brother's eyes as he used his chair to speed around like a bat out of hell.

"Penny, Jacks, get back here please! We have to go and get Oren checked in." Oren's mother yelled after them.

~

They reached the main building and joined the line of prospective divers and their families. Most of the people around were people a little older than him, presumably college athletes getting their chance to shine. He saw some older people as well, with maybe a partner or spouse. These were the people who had either gotten scouted, won the lottery, or paid a hefty sum of money to be let in. Once people checked in at the front desk, they were sent to a turnstile on the left where they could enter.

On the right was another line, except it led straight to another set of turnstiles, where people with grave looks on their faces swiped their cards and stalked into the building. While there was no sign or indication of the fact, Oren could tell that these people were the Unqualified. Their determined walk and hardened faces contrasted with the bright eyes of those in Oren's line. When looking over there, he managed to make eye contact with one of them. The steely gaze the man gave Oren was enough to make him turn away entirely. 

"Jeez. What's their problem?" Evidently, Penelope had taken note of their gloom as well.

When they reached the front desk, Oren stepped forward.

"Name?" The woman at the front asked. 

"Oren Astor." He replied

The woman typed a little on the keyboard and examined Oren before pulling out a sleek metal prism, much like the identification card that Emil had. 

"Please place your hand in the bio-scanner." She said, dryly.

Oren did as she asked, and she placed the prism in a small opening on the counter. There was a short whirr and Oren felt a tingling sensation in his hand. Once the sensation was over, she took the prism out of the opening and handed it to Oren.

"This is your Identification Card, as well as the key to all the facilities you have access to. Please do not lose it, as you will have to pay for another one yourself. To your left you must use the card to get past the turnstiles. An employee will take your bags and you can make your way into the Grand Hall. Next please."

Opening the prism by touching a small divot in the surface, a hologram displayed. It was a lot like Emil's card, but instead of a job title and company, it said;

[Oren Astor]

[Room 5-243]

[Rank: N/A]

Ranks? Admittedly, Oren didn't quite know how the camp would work. He just assumed that it would be a simple training regimen to get them ready for the preliminary exam and entry into the Qualifying Class. Ranking threw a wrench in the operation. 

The woman dismissed Oren without another word, and he had no choice but to lead his family to the turnstiles. He placed the I.D. card in a slot on the turnstile, and the glass gate barring their way opened. It stayed open long enough for he and his entire family to walk through.

A kind man in a uniform came over and took Oren's luggage from his father, whose relief was evident after the fact. 

The whole family made their way into the Grand Hall. Hundreds of people sat in the many rows facing the stage. Oren found a spot for his family to sit, and they prepared themselves for the ceremony to start.

A man on the stage began to speak, and any chatter in the audience ceased.

"It is a pleasure to have all of you here. Many walks of life led you all to this moment, some are here to prove themselves, some are here to redeem themselves. Either way, all of you are here for one shared goal; to hone your skills to compete in the greatest league in all of Chasm Diving!"

And so it begins.